Hey Steve.. VA loans are heavily insured loan products, so there's very little difference if you have a 650 credit score vs. 750, so paying down your credit cards might not be necessary to qualify.. but without looking at your complete loan profile, it's hard to advise you.. I do have a "Credit Simulator".. which allows me to look at your credit report and make "What if" changes to see what would potentially happen to your score if those changes were permanent.. I'd be happy to run this for you.. just reach out to me.. I'm a preferred Lender with California and Arizona being my primary markets. If you or someone you know is looking for financing options, feel free to contact me or pass along my information. 480-287-5714 WilliamAcres.com NMLS# 226347 / RPM Mortgage NMLS 1541014 / AZMB0121893